Thrust-bearing



R.O.S THRUST B (No Model.)

MIT EAR I ed Apr. 8, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT C. Sl\HTH, OF YONKERS, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 THD OTIS BROTHERS & COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

THRUST-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pafient No. 425,263, dated. Apr1 8, 1890.

Application fi1ed November 5, 1889. Serial No. 329,268. (No model.)

To all whom it mcoy concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH C. SMITH, a ctzen of the United States, residing ab Yonkers, in the county of 'Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thrnst-Bearngs, of which the following is a, specfication.

Thrust 01 step bearings of the usual con structon heat and wear unequally because the outside of the step has a greater crcunfiferential speed than thai; pmt nemeror at the center. The outside we'arng avvay faster than the center, gradually reducesthe bearng area until all the support and wearare at the cente1 zmd there is unequal abrason and beat. T0 avod obese results, I divide the bearing into two independent sections and support thcse upon the saune movable support, through Whch che pressure on one bearng is transferred to the other t0 compensate for an y wear of the latter.

I hzu're illustrated my invention in the accompa-nying drawings, in WICh-*" Figure 1 is a longitudnal secton of a stepbearing, embodyng my nvention. Fig. 2 s 2L transverse secton on the line 2 2, looking upwamd; and Fgs. 3 and 4 are. sectonal vews illustrating modifica-Mons.

'lhe proporbons of the step end of the sha,ft Wll depend upon the Purpose f01 Which it is nsed, che strain upon it, &c.; out in any case the end bearng-face thai) takes the thrust s divided into nwo or more concentric sections, prefembly in dif'erent planes, and separate bearings for che two sections are supported by the saune movable supporters as the opposite ends 0f levers, whereby ohe thrnst or pressure upon one face 1's cransmitted to the 0her face, so that f one bearing wears away more rapidly than the other, throwing the thrust upon the other, the pressure upon che latter Wil1 operatethrough the movable support so force the other beming upon the other face, and thus equalize ohe pressare and the wear.

In the construction shown in Fgs. 1 zmd 2, the shaft A lms one central bemng-section m at the end and anothe1 annular secton g 211; a distance from che secton x, formed by reducng che diameter of the shaft to make a shoulder. In contact wth these two beamn5- faces are two bearings 1 2, 0110, in the form of a disk; zmd the other annulzw 01 in the form of a sleeve. The dsk-bea-rng l preferzzbly fits Within the sleeve-bearing 2, whch thus holds in in place, and ea-rs 3 on the disk-bearing extend into s1ots @L in the sleeve, so that the disk cannot turn, the sleeve beng prevented fron rota,tng by ears 5 thereon extending nto slot 6 in the box B. There is, however, space beyond the bearngs sufficent for the longitudinal -movement of each and for the reception of balance-Ievers D D-one, two, or more-each lever in (3011D5t6t at the inner end Wth che bearug 1, m che outer end With the bearing :2, (md having an intermedia-te fulcrun1 7.

Norm a1y each fa'ce 06 y of the spndle bears Wth egual pressuve upon ts bearing; but nasmuch as the movement of the outer face greatly exceeds in exten; that of the nner fa-ce the wear ci che former is n1uch the greacer, so that the latter wears more rapdly, and the weght, thrusc, 01 pressure npon the center bearing would gradually increxse did nota 'che levers swing back at the inner ends and forward at the onter ends, thereby forcing the sleeve-bearng against ts face y, compensatng for the wear, thereby nmintanng che nonnal condtion of the parts and preventing theusual gradual reduction of the areaof the bearng-surfaces.

The bearng-faces x y may be on the same plane, as shown in Fig. 3, where, nstead of a seeve, the1e s a short annular bearing 2, resting 011 the extreme end of the shaft.

T0 compensate f0'1 WQELI and secure proper adjusnment, the fulcm of the balanc'e-levers may be moved. As shown,the levers bear 011 the face of a set-screw S,turnng in athreaded opeuing in che box. By burnug che screw the levers are carred toward the end of the shaft u nti1 the pressure on the bearings s equalzed.

As sbown, there are two levers, their ends exbending nto s1ots in the sleeve 2, whereby they are kept in place, the nne1 end of one lever reeessed to receive a projecton 011 the end of the other; but there may be three 01 more levers or any other lever 01 compensatng ar1an gement. F01 instance, a body of mercury V nmy be confined in the space be- 10W the bearngs 1 2, so that any wear of either VIS bearing more than the other Will result in increa.sed pressure upon the latter, and' the fluid will be forced against the WOLI1 bearing, taking up the wear and equalizing the pressure. By turnng the screW the liquid s displacerl and the position of the shaft maintaned.

' WVithout limting myself to che precise constructon shown, I c1aim as my inventon- 1. A compensating step consistng of bearings seated upon two concentrc faces of che shaft and resting upon a movable snpport, through which the pressure of one bearng is transferred to the other, substantially as descrbed.

2. The combination,wth a shaft, of bearings for two concentric faces, and levers supportng the sad bearings at their opposite ends, substantally as described.

3. The combination, With a shaft having faces x y, of a disk-bearing 1, and, annulm bearing2, and levers supporting thesaid. bearings m; thei1 opposite ends, substantally as described.

4. The combination, With a shaft having a supporting the said bearngs and supported upon movable fulcra, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nanne t0 ths specficaton in che presence of fcwo subscrbing witnesses.

RUDOLPH O. SMITI-I.

Witnesses:

EDWD. K. ANDERTON, L. F. GOLDMANN. 

